Volunteer

Our volunteers are an elite team of people who lead with their hearts. They care deeply about their neighbors and community members and work hard to affect positive change. They are the core of everything we do and we look forward to adding you to our volunteer family! Listed below are the current volunteer opportunities available with our affiliate. New opportunities for volunteering come up often, so if you don’t see something that interests you today, be sure to check back!

Click the volunteer opportunities below to see a short description. If you are interested in volunteering, fill out the Volunteer Application Form at the bottom of this page and submit it. The form will go directly to our Volunteer Coordinator and you will hear back within 1 week.

Click here to meet a few of our awesome volunteers. This page is updated monthly with a new volunteer and their experience working with us.

For current volunteers: to log in to your online VicNet portal, please CLICK HERE.

Volunteer Opportunities Available

Committee members are volunteers who help us with a myriad of different things. From Ad Hoc event planning to ReStore advisory (RAC), our committees are groups of dedicated people who commit to working until a project is done. They do a lot of different tasks on a need by need basis and usually meet once a month. Currently, our committees are:
• ReStore Advisory
• Finance
• Executive
• Faith Relations
• Family Selection
• Site Development
• Marketing
• Resource Development
• Run, Walk, Ride
• Nick’s Gala

Habitat Ambassadors are our representatives within the community. Ambassador volunteers know a lot about all of our programs and are able to convey that information in a friendly and helpful manner. One of the main jobs of the Habitat Ambassador is to run an information booth at Habitat-run and community events.

Office Assistants are volunteers who like to see the big picture of our organization. They know that data entry and working an office may seem dull but actually a very big piece of how we function day to day as an organization. Office assistants need to have a basic understanding of common P.C. programs (i.e. Word, Excel, Outlook, Powerpoint, etc.) and a willingness to learn other, more complex programs as the need arises. Office volunteers also get the extreme pleasure of working alongside our superstar office staff in a dog-friendly office!

The ReStore, our new/gently used goods retail location, is the most common way that community members get involved with us. Revenue from the ReStore goes directly towards supporting our homebuilding program in Yamhill County. ReStore volunteers are in the perfect position to represent our affiliate and our mission in every interaction with a customer. ReStore volunteers are part flight attendants, part customer service gurus, part fix-it wiz’s. There are 3 main volunteer positions within the ReStore:

• Floor Associate– To work as a floor associate in the ReStore you must able to communicate well with others and have a great customer service ethic.
• Cashier– Cashiers are in charge of manning the till and keeping accurate count of the sales for the shift. To be a cashier we require you to work for 1 month as a floor associate and then also go through cashier training.

• Receiving Room Volunteer– The Receiving Room is (arguably) the most important part of the entire ReStore. It is where we accept or decline donations, fix and clean things that can be saved, and move items onto the floor for sale. Receiving Room volunteers must be hardworking and able to work independently on projects. Also, a little experience with handiwork or fixing things goes a long way!

Construction volunteers are people who like to get their hands dirty and work outside, no matter the weather. People who choose to be part of our construction team are not required to have any type of previous construction or building experience. They simply need to be willing to work hard, make mistakes, and learn how to be better. Construction volunteers need to be at least 16years old, 14 if you are going to volunteer with a parent. There are also other opportunities at the constructions site besides building, including:
• Site hosts/hostesses
• Snack providers
• Tool managers
• Family consultants

Yes! We do those! Are you passionate about a certain part of our mission or programs? Want to learn more about our organization or learn a new skill? Have the drive to work on a longer term individually managed project? We want you as an intern! Internships are supervised by our staff and can be for educational credit. Unfortunately, all internships done at the McMinnville Area Habitat for Humanity are unpaid. Hours for internships are flexible but it is up to the student to support themselves throughout the internship. Successful interns will leave with a better understanding of the inner workings of a small non-profit, our mission, and a fantastic reference.

STOP! If you are looking to complete court order community service, call Caleigh Hoffman at (503) 687-1410 or email caleigh@machabitat.org

Volunteer of the Month

Kurt Holmgreen, Construction Volunteer

Kurt Holmgreen started volunteering with MacHabitat in 2015 and he was an out of the blue blessing! He showed up in the office one day asking to volunteer and already, after only one year with us, he is an integral part of our “regular crew”. When asked why he chose to volunteer with MacHabitat, he said, “I have always believed in giving back to the community.” Kurt has lived a life in example of that, retiring after serving 34 years with his local fire department.

Kurt got involved with Habitat through his brother-in-law who is a regular volunteer in Sisters, OR. When asked how he interacts with his community differently as a MacHabitat volunteer, Kurt replied, “It has broadened my perspective of different people coming together. I love to see different people sharing their skills and their backgrounds with one another.”

Kurt councils prospective volunteers interested in construction to, “Look at the end result of who the home is for. Don’t be concerned about not having the right skills because we all learn new skills every day we are out there.“

Besides volunteering with us, Kurt loves to camp and spend time with his family. He is also often found playing volleyball, basketball, and working with clay sculpture and watercolors. An art minor in college, Kurt is a visual person, something that can be seen at the construction site as he often makes small drawings before starting a project! When asked what super power he would choose if he could, Kurt thoughtfully said,” I would wish I could bring cohesion to groups. We are all too divided to really get to know one another. I would like to be able to have people get along and all learn to enjoy each other’s company.”